The consecration and entrustment to the Virgin Mary is a personal or collective act of Marian devotion among Catholics, with the Latin terms oblatio, servitus, commendatio and dedicatio being used in this context."Consecration and Entrustment to Mary", § 204, Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy, Vatican Consecration is an act by which a person is dedicated to a sacred service, or an act which separates an object, location or region from a common and profane mode to one for sacred use.Schulte, Augustin Joseph. "Consecration." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 4. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1908. 9 Aug. 2014 The Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments clarifies that in this context, "It should be recalled, however, that the term "consecration" is used here in a broad and non-technical sense: the expression is use of 'consecrating children to Our Lady', by which is intended placing children under her protection and asking her maternal blessing for them".
Consecration to the Virgin Mary by Catholics has taken place from three perspectives: personal, societal and regional, and under a number of different titles: the Immaculate Conception, to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, or more recently to Mary, Mother of the Church. Early in the 20th century, Maximilian Kolbe, called the "Apostle of Consecration to Mary", began a vigorous programme of promoting consecration to the Immaculata.Armstrong, Regis J.; Peterson, Ingrid J. and Zagano, Phyllis. The Franciscan Tradition, 2010 p. 51 In Catholic teachings, consecration to Mary does not diminish or substitute the love of God, but enhances it, for all consecration is ultimately made to God.Trigilio, John and Brighenti, Kenneth, The Catholicism Answer Book, 2007 p. 325 Theologian Garrigou-Lagrange designated personal consecration to Mary as the highest level among Marian devotions.Garrigou-Lagrange, Réginald. The Three Ages of the Interior Life, trans. Dom Anthony of the Mother of God (Rockford, IL: TAN Books, 1988), 119–128, Chapter VI, "The Influence of Mary Mediatrix."
Pope John Paul II's motto, Totus Tuus ("totally yours"), reflected his personal consecration to Mary. He consecrated the entire world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.McLoughlin, William. Mary Is for Everyone, Jill Pinnock 1998 p. 79
History and development The beginnings of the notion of "belonging to Mary" can be seen in the writings of Ephrem the Syrian in the 4th century, and a form of personal consecration to Mary dates back to the 5th century, where its practitioners were called "servants of Mary" and the practice was sometimes referred to as "holy servitude". However, the first consistent and repeated use of the concept of consecration to Mary was perhaps by Ildephonsus of Toledo in the 7th century, and Pope John VII also referred to it in the 8th century.Calkins, Arthur. "Marian Consecration and Entrustment", Burke, Raymond L. et al. (2008) Mariology: A Guide for Priests, Deacons, Seminarians, and Consecrated Persons pp. 725-737
The notion that consecration to Mary is linked with consecration to Christ and has an ultimate Christocentric goal was already present in the 7th century writings of Ildephonsus, when he wrote: "What is delivered up to the Mother rebounds to the Son; thus passes to the King the honor that is rendered in the service of the Queen."
In the 8th century, John Damascene continued the theme of consecration to Mary, and when he wrote "to you we consecrate (anathemenoi) our minds, our souls and our bodies, in a word our very selves" he used the Greek term anathemenoi which indicates "the setting aside for sacred use".
The act of consecration of cities and regions dates back at least to the 9th century, when Abbo Cernuus of Saint-Germain-des-Prés composed a poem in which he attributed the failure of the Vikings in the Siege of Paris (885–886) to the consecration of the city to the Virgin Mary, and her protection over it.Little, Lester K., Plague and the end of antiquity, 2006 p. 139 During the Medieval period, abbeys, towns and cities began to consecrate themselves to the Virgin Mary to seek her protection. In the 12th century Cîteaux Abbey in France used the motif of the "protective mantle" of the Virgin Mary which shielded the kneeling abbots and abbesses. In the 13th century Caesarius of Heisterbach was also aware of this motif, which eventually led to the iconography of the Virgin of Mercy.
Although previous saints had discussed the notion of consecration, it was only in 11th century France that Odilo at the Cluny Abbey began to spread the formal practice of personal consecration to Mary.McNally, Terrence. 2009 What Every Catholic Should Know about Mary pages 76-78 In the 12th century, the Cistercian orders began consecrating themselves to Mary, first individually and then as a group, and this practice then spread to the Benedictines and the Carmelites.Thurston, Herbert. "Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 15. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912. 9 Aug. 2014
The 17th century also saw the adoption of the custom of consecrating the month of May to the Blessed Virgin. During the 18th and 19th centuries the traditions of Marian consecration grew and by 1860 First Communion in France included an act of consecration to the Virgin Mary.McGail, Peter. First communion: ritual, church and popular religious identity, 2007 p. 22 By this time Marian consecrations had spread beyond continental Europe and in England Frederick Faber had composed a hymn of consecration to the Virgin Mary which included a petition to her motherly role.Doyle, Mary E., Standard Catholic Readers, 2008 p. 33
Since the 19th century, devotions and consecrations to the Immaculate Heart of Mary have been encouraged by several popes including Pius IX, Pius XII and John Paul II.Baker, Kenneth. Fundamentals of Catholicism, 1983 p. 383
Personal consecration
Theologian Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange, a professor at the Angelicum, analyzed various forms and stages of Marian devotions. He designated personal consecration to Mary as the highest level among these devotions. In his theological analysis, Marian devotions are categorized into stages, from beginner to advanced, as follows:Pepinster, Catherine and Wilkins, John. John Paul II: reflections from The tablet, 2005 page 22
Occasional prayer, e.g. praying the Hail Mary from time to time. Regular and daily devotion, e.g. the devout recitation of the Rosary on a daily basis. A formal act of consecration to Mary, and living in habitual dependence on her, as a means of uniting with Christ.
The theology of personal consecration to Mary was further explained by Pope John Paul II in Redemptoris Mater where, building on , he stated that the word "home" refers to the spiritual and inner life of believers, and "to take Mary into one's home" signifies a filial entrustment to her as mother in every aspect of life. John Paul II suggested the Apostle John as an example of how every Christian should respond to the gift of the spiritual motherhood of Mary.Pope John Paul II, Redemptoris Mater
Louis de Montfort's Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary
The practice of consecration to Jesus through Mary was further promoted in the 18th century following the rediscovery of the writings of the 17th century priest Louis de Montfort. The heart of Montfort's classic work True Devotion to Mary is a formal act of consecration to Mary, so through her, one can be consecrated to Christ. For Montfort, consecration begins a gradual process of sanctification in which a person's focus turns away from self-love and towards God through Mary. In Montfort's view different individuals reach different levels along this scale, depending on their efforts and purity of intentions. Montfort's classification of the multiple levels of spiritual progress is similar to the "spiritual dwelling places" described by Teresa of Avila in the Interior Castle. Yet Montfort's view differs from Teresa's contemporary, John of the Cross in that Montfort sees the Marian path to Jesus as far more positive, encouraging and smooth than the path followed by John in the poem Dark Night of the Soul.Raja Rao, Joseph. The Mystical Experience and Doctrine of St. Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort, Loyola Press, 2005, pp. 265-271
Montfort's concept of consecration was influenced by Henri Boudon's book (Only God, the Holy Slavery of the admirable Mother of God). By reading Boudon, Montfort concluded that any consecration is ultimately made to "God Alone", for only God merits the loving servitude of man. Later, "God Alone" became the motto of Montfort. Montfort's approach followed Boudon very closely, but differed on one element: while Boudon's consecration was founded on the Queenship of Mary, Montfort approach was based on the divine maternity.Boudon, Henri-Marie. Dieu seul: le Saint esclavage de l'admirable Mère de Dieu, Paris 1674De Montfort, Louis-Marie Grignion God alone: the collected writings of St. Louis Mary de Montfort 1995 p. xvi
Pope John Paul II stated that as a young seminarian he had read and reread Montfort many times and "understood that I could not exclude the Lord's Mother from my life without neglecting the will of God-Trinity".Rossetti, Stephen J. Behold Your Mother, 2007 p. 30Pope John Paul II Reveals Virgin Mary Role in His Life Zenit News, 15 October 2000
The Immaculate Heart of Mary
Francis de Sales began to write on the "perfections of the Heart of Mary" as the model of love for God in the early parts of the 17th century and his work influenced Jean Eudes, who then developed the joint devotion to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary.Mary's Immaculate Heart by John F. Murphy 2007 page 24 Two factors that helped the rapid progress of the devotion were the introduction of the Miraculous Medal by Catherine Labouré in 1830 and the establishment at Notre-Dame-des-Victoires, Paris of the Archconfraternity of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Refuge of Sinners. In 1838 Father Desgenettes, the pastor of Notre-Dame-des-Victoires, organized the Association in honor of the Holy and Immaculate Heart of Mary, which Pope Gregory XVI made a confraternity the same year.Goyau, Georges. "Paris." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 11. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1911. 9 Aug. 2014 In July, 1855, the Congregation of Rites approved the Office and Mass for the Immaculate Heart.Bainvel, Jean. "Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 7. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1910. 9 Aug. 2014
Another driving force for devotions and consecrations to the Immaculate Heart of Mary appeared in the 1917 messages of Our Lady of Fátima. The three children who reported the messages of Marian apparitions at Fátima referred to the Immaculate Heart.Youngest Prophet by Christopher Rengers 1998 page 38 The third apparition reported at Fátima on 13 July 1917, specifically encouraged devotions and consecrations for the triumph of the Immaculate Heart. Although the reports of the Fátima apparitions were initially met with skepticism, they grew in popularity and were approved by the Holy See in 1930.Patron Saints by Michael Freze 1992 page 211